Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted residency training. Several studies have been performed to investigate the impact of the pandemic on residency training in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International (ACGME-I)-accredited institutions. However, these were either limited to certain specialties or failed to consider possible opportunities from the pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSingapore Med J
September 2024
Introduction: There is increasing evidence demonstrating the safety and benefits of physical activity (PA) in uncomplicated pregnancies. Literature has shown that pregnant women around the world do not engage in adequate exercise. This study aims to assess the current practices of exercise among pregnant women in Singapore, determine the proportion of women meeting different PA targets and evaluate the factors influencing the practice of exercise.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHemoglobin (Hb) Bart's hydrops fetalis is the most severe form of α-thalassemia and is usually inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. We report a case of Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis due to uniparental disomy of chromosome 16. Antenatal screening showed a low maternal mean corpuscular volume (MCV), while paternal MCV was normal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Acad Med Singap
December 2020
Introduction: To describe the maternal and fetal outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pregnancies followed-up in a single tertiary referral centre.
Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 75 SLE pregnancies who were followed up in Singapore General Hospital over a 16-year period from 2000 to 2016. Adverse fetal and maternal outcomes including preterm delivery, miscarriages, fetal growth restriction, congenital heart block, neonatal lupus, pre-eclampsia and SLE flares were obtained from the medical records.
The WHO declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic on 11 March 2020. Lessons from SARS epidemic led Singapore to develop stringent infection control protocols in preparation for future pandemics. However, unlike SARS, COVID-19 appears to be more transmissible and is predicted to continue for longer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) during pregnancy is a serious metabolic complication of diabetes with high mortality and morbidity if not detected and treated immediately. We report a case of a woman with type 1 diabetes mellitus who had poorly controlled diabetes in the first half of pregnancy and developed DKA at 29 weeks gestation. At presentation, she had a pathological fetal heart tracing but delivery was delayed for maternal stabilisation and reversal of acidosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: First trimester screening (FTS) is a validated screening tool that has been shown to achieve detection rates of 84%-90% for trisomies 21, 18 and 13. However, its effectiveness for different maternal ages has not been assessed. The present study aimed to assess the performance of FTS in an Asian population, and to compare its effectiveness in older (≥ 35 years) and younger (< 35 years) women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHaemangioma of the retroperitoneal space is a rare benign capillary malformation, which can grow significantly in pregnancy due to the multiple associated cardiovascular changes. We herein describe the case of a pregnant woman with an extensive right retroperitoneal haemangioma extending from the level of the renal hilum, across the lateral anterior abdominal wall and into the thigh. We also highlight the challenges faced in the management of the patient's delivery process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In the United Kingdom, caesarean section (CS) rates have increased from 9% of deliveries in 1980 to 21% in 2001. A similar increase in CS rates has been seen in many developed countries. This is beyond the World Health Organisation's (WHO's) recommended level of 15%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe present a case series of four patients with Caesarean scar pregnancies (CSPs) managed at our gynaecological unit between October 2008 and May 2009. Three patients were detected while asymptomatic, and were treated with elective intragestational sac methotrexate injections. The last patient had presented following complications from a termination of pregnancy for a CSP that was misdiagnosed as intrauterine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of the perioperative placement of occlusion balloons within the internal iliac arteries in reducing intraoperative blood loss and transfusion requirements during cesarean delivery for women with placenta accreta or its variants.
Materials And Methods: Over a 30-month period, 11 patients with placenta accreta or its variants underwent cesarean delivery after bilateral internal iliac artery occlusion balloon placement (study group). The intraoperative blood loss and transfusion volumes, immediate postoperative change in hemoglobin levels, duration of surgery, and length of ICU stay and hospitalization of this study group were compared with 14 similar patients who underwent cesarean delivery without occlusion balloon placement over a 36-month period (control group).
Introduction: Ovarian carcinoma usually presents at an advanced stage with diffuse intraabdominal manifestations. We report a patient who presented with a right groin swelling.
Clinical Picture: The only clinical abnormality was an enlarged right inguinal lymph node (3 x 2 cm), for which excision biopsy revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Introduction: Pathologically adherent placentas occur when there is a defect of the decidua basalis, typically arising from previous caesarean section, resulting in abnormally invasive implantation of the placenta. The depth of placental invasion varies from the superficial (accreta), to transmural and possibly beyond (percreta).
Clinical Picture: We report on 2 cases, one treated "conservatively", the other with a caesarean hysterectomy, both of which led to a safe outcome for both mother and baby.